The Only Son
by The Little Vagabond
Summary: Harry and Nikki are on a mission to help Leo solve a brutal murder, but find themselves thrust into a circle of lies and deceit. The case forces them to draw together and employ all their experience to find the killer.
1. Chapter 1

It was a bright, clear Monday morning; the sun was gleaming on the dewy grass, and Harry Cunningham was late.

Extremely late – beyond standard 'traffic excuse' late. The sort of late that can only be justified by distant bereavement or car breakdowns.

In short, the kind of late that calls for a truly brilliant excuse. Luckily, Harry had just such an excuse at his disposal, carefully honed on the journey over.

Its principal focus was on a power failure in his car park, which had led to an inability to pass through the barriers until the engineers arrived.  
However, he had decided that this alone did not account for the – he checked his watch and groaned – _fifty-three_ _minute_ delay in his arrival at work, and had compounded this original factor with the revelation of a jack-knifed lorry in the road.

This, he felt, might suitably qualify for such terrible lateness, and excuse him from a verbal beating from his superior once he arrived in the office.

*****

He made a show of jogging swiftly from the car park at the Lab, just in case Leo had his eye on the CCTV, and arrived at his desk affecting just the right amount of wheezing and penitence. He was just relaxing into his seat when a voice behind him caught him off guard.

'So nice of you to join us, Harry.'  
Leo stepped out from the doorway of his office, from where he'd been observing Harry's elaborate show. Harry winced in preparation for the blow.

'Had a nice lie in did you?'

Harry turned and prepared to launch into his now well-practiced explanation. 'No no no, you see, there was this powercut and my car...'

Leo silenced him with a wave of the papers in his right hand.  
'I don't have time. I'll hear your ingenious excuse later, of course, but right now I need you and Nikki to do me a favour'.

Harry felt he had been in some way wrong-footed, and tried again. 'No, but, there was this lorry, and it was in the middle of the road...' he spluttered.

Leo raised an eyebrow. 'Could you please just go and fetch Nikki? And quickly, please' he said tersely.

Harry stood confused for a moment, then made an awkward little nod and turned away, feeling he'd rather dodged the bullet on that one.

His boss, meanwhile, shook his head exasperatedly and made a mental note to buy Harry a particularly noisy and obnoxious alarm clock for his next birthday.

*****

Harry eventually managed to locate Nikki in the changing room.  
He took full advantage of her positioning with her back towards the door, and quietly crept up behind her, placing his hands over her eyes.

'Guess who?' he whispered.

'Someone in desperate need of a functioning watch?' came her tart reply.

Harry frowned as she swivelled round on the bench.

'You know,' she continued, lacing up her brogue heels absent-mindedly, 'I think you might even have set a record today. Never in the history of this department has anyone been so late. It's medal-worthy. I trust you have a suitable excuse?

''Of course.' he retorted, seating himself on the opposite bench.  
'Many. I had the incredible misfortune not only to encounter not only a disastrous powercut leaving me almost completely marooned, but also a stranded truck causing me even further delay and upset. The whole experience has been extremely traumatising.'

Nikki nodded, progressing to lacing the other shoe in silence. She paused.

'And the truth?'.

Harry smiled and sighed.  
'Had some friends over, got pissed, and fell asleep in the bath.'

Nikki smiled, looking him dead in the eye. 'Have I ever told you you're the classiest man I know?'

*****

Ten minutes later the three were once again convened in Leo's office.  
Harry wasn't sure whether it was Leo's low gaze or the dark advancing clouds outside but he had a horrible premonition that this wasn't just a normal departmental meeting.  
Leo sat back in his chair and fixed them in a stare.

'How would the two of you like to go on a little escapade?' opened Leo, with false cheer.

Harry and Nikki exchanged glances.  
'An escapade?' enquired Nikki, furrowing her brow.

'Yes, a little trip. The two of you have been posted to a case down in Devon'. There was a pause.

The pathologists were a little confused – their boss seemed to be unusually reticent about details.

Harry raised his hand, like a small child in a classroom. 'Sorry, Doctor Dalton, what do you mean, 'posted'?'

'Well' Leo shifted in his seat slightly 'the Department down there's a little stretched at the moment, so I offered our.. well, _your _services to help them out for a bit. It's been quiet since you finished the Mortimer case and I felt we could lend a hand'.

Nikki looked up – Leo's tone was unconvincing, suggesting an ulterior motive.  
'Leo, what's going on? Are you sending us away?' she asked, confused.

Leo shook his head, looking withdrawn. 'No, no, it's nothing like that...'

'Then tell us!'.

For a moment, Leo looked pensive, even dejected, but eventually he roused himself a little and leant forwards over the desk.  
'Look, I don't want to lie to you.. they asked me for help on this case but due to unforeseen circumstances I'm unable to lend my services'

'So either you know the victim or the suspect?' Harry interjected.

Leo sighed and picked up a brown folder, passing it to the two Pathologists.

'Steve Hebden, 26, Accountant from Totnes. Went missing two days ago. He was found late last night, and well.. you can see from the photo what kind of a state he's in.'

Nikki glanced at the accompanying picture and winced.

'Severe mutilation. Based on the severity of the attack, the police suspect there may have been as many as three separate attackers, as the initial evidence shows that all the majority damage was done within a ten-minute timeframe.'

Harry perused the notes carefully, briefly referencing the photo.

'We'll take the case, of course. But this doesn't explain why you're passing it onto us'.

Leo inhaled slowly before speaking.

'He's my godson.'

Nikki took his hand 'Oh Leo, I'm so sorry. Were you close?'.

Leo nodded. 'His Dad was my best man.. I've known him since he was this high' he said, motioning.

He tried to compose himself, taking a deep breath.

'His dad died back in 2000 - heart attack, very sudden.. I helped Steve through it, doing my godfatherly duty, you know. He was such a lovely kid.'  
He choked, and his eyes filled with tears.  
'When they called last night I.. I couldn't believe it.'

Harry leant across the desk and grasped Leo's shoulder. 'Nikki and I will do our very best on this case. I promise, we'll find out what happened'. Leo placed a hand on Harry's outstretched arm and nodded in gratitude, unable to speak.

* * *

**This is my first ever fanfiction.. well, really my first proper foray into creative writing. So please be as critical as you can be (within reason ofc). I've written a plot outline for the rest of this, but having read a fair few others I know that feedback can impact heavily on the writing process so it's still a pretty fluid storyline. Will be getting some nice Harry/Nikki bits in later, but I have to admit I'm going to really focus on preserving their banter. Thanks very much for reading! L xx**


	2. Chapter 2

Harry and Nikki departed later that day, having wasted no time booking a hotel and tickets. They had reassured Leo that they would leave no stone unturned in the search for his Godson's killers, and had made sure to wait around just long enough for Janet to arrive to comfort him.

'I just didn't want to leave him on his own like that.' said Harry, stowing his bag on the overhead shelf as the train began to depart.

'I know what you mean, he seemed really shaken.' mumbled Nikki, the sound obscured by the ticket between her teeth, as she removed her coat and pushed it under her seat. 'I hope he's ok'

'He'll be fine.. he's got Janet. If ever there was someone especially designed to pull Leo out of a bad mood it's her.'

Nikki smiled at the thought, opening her book. 'They are a wonderful couple, aren't they?'

'I know' replied Harry, 'makes me kind of jealous.' Nikki raised her eyebrows questioningly. 'It's just.. he's got  
everything he wants. He's contented.'

'He's lucky' retorted Nikki, 'some people search their whole lives without finding their soulmate.'

Harry nodded. 'True. How's your search going?'

'Very badly. Yours?'

'Likewise, abysmally.'

A smile passed between them. After a pause, Nikki spoke. 'You know, I think we're going to be ok.'

Harry tensed, and looked at her curiously. 'Oh yes, and why's that?'

'Because I brought travel Battleships'

*****

By the time the train pulled into Plymouth it was around 6 o'clock, and the sky outside was noticeably darkening.

Harry had fielded a call from a DCI Noakes while on the train, gruffly informing them that the body had been safely moved to the Morgue, and that he would convene with them at the Lab the next morning to discuss the case further.

He seemed a little hostile and Harry suspected that he did not especially relish the idea of two London-types coming down to disturb his case.

He sternly delivered the details of the Lab's whereabouts and reminded Harry of the severity of the case and its 'urgent need to be solved with all possible haste'. Harry found himself dreading his encounter with this archaic-sounding DCI, but assured him all the same of his and Nikki's conviction to solving the crime.

By this point, Nikki had fallen asleep, scrunched up on the side of her seat, having won six successive games of Battleships. From time to time Harry found his attention being drawn from his weighty and slightly tedious book, and would catch himself watching her sleep.

As the evening drew in, Harry gently shook her shoulder to wake her up.

'Nnnng?' Nikki groaned.

'We're nearly there, should arrive in around twenty minutes or so'

Nikki yawned and stretched inelegantly, checking her phone. 'One missed call.. huh?'

'Oh, yes, probably DCI Noakes' said Harry, catching on.

'Our copper?'

'Looks that way'

'What's he like?' asked Nikki, rooting through her handbag.

'You know, the usual cantankerous old fool, thinks somehow we're invading his department with our outlandish London methods'

'We'll have to be careful, you know. Technically we're the guests, we'll have to watch not to step on any toes.' Harry looked a little mutinous at this. 'Come on – I'm just saying it'll only hamper the case' she reasoned. 'We have to be amenable'.

'Yes yes, Miss Voice of Reason' Harry rolled his eyes, then stared at her.

'What?' Nikki asked, self-consciously touching her face.

'You've just got a bit of dribble..'

'Shut up Harry, I do not.'

'You do! Would I lie to you?'

She moved to wipe it away 'No – higher. Over there. Up a bit.'

'Here?'

'No, the other side'

'Oh you –' She threw the miniature Battleships board at him

Harry laughed. 'See? Now you look lovely'

Nikki simply raised an eyebrow and returned to sorting out her bag, feeling very glad she'd not mentioned the Chicken Caesar stain on Harry's shirt earlier.

*****

They arrived at the Hotel fairly shortly afterwards, having bickered in the taxi after the Cabbie had called Nikki the 'Missus', and eventually found themselves at the front desk.

The receptionist was a bored looking middle-aged woman with elongated purple nails. She smelled strongly of lavender and emanated a loud sloshing noise as she chewed a singular piece of gum in a way that strongly reminded Nikki of ruminating cows.

Harry took over proceedings. 'Hello, Dr Alexander and Dr Cunningham, we booked rooms earlier?'

'Yep – two adjoining ensuite rooms. 411 and 412 – So that means you're gonna be on floor 4. Will you need help with the bags?'

This brief speech was carried out at a pace vying with the speed of sound, and all Harry could do was nod and hope that the room numbers were on the keys so he wouldn't need to ask again.

'Er.. you've got something on your shirt,' pointed out the secretary, but Harry had already left the desk. He grabbed Nikki's arm and dragged her away just in case he was provoked into further conversation.

'What floor?' asked Nikki as they reached the lift

'Five? Three? I don't know, I can't really be sure that woman was speaking English'

Harry checked the Keys, which thankfully featured the room numbers and floor

'Ah.. we're on floor Four'. Nikki pressed the corresponding button and the lift doors clanked into life.

'So.. Did you see her nails?' she motioned downstairs and did a clawlike impression.

'God yes, the talons.. terrifying'

'So that's not what you go for then, Cunningham? I'm surprised'

'Yes, call me old fashioned, but I tend not to prefer the 'early-Doctor-Who-villain' look on women.' he replied with a smile, as the lift ground to a halt.

'You prude' countered Nikki, striding through the opening doors.

*****

The rooms were not luxurious but adequate, slightly old fashioned and maintaining that musty scent from a bygone era of rosewater and powder puffs.  
They were connected by a single adjoining door, and Harry was quick to clarify that the privacy of his room was not to be defamed in the same way that his desk was back in the Lab.  
Nikki took this as a cue to plonk herself squarely on Harry's bed and whip out the case notes as her exasperated colleague looked on, dumfounded.

'You know, it's not bad here.. I quite like it' She mumbled as she flicked through the notes.

'Yes.. if you enjoy décor that hasn't seen an update since the 1940s' Harry returned.

Nikki paused and raised her eyebrows. 'I'd have thought that this would be a bit of a step up for man openly in the habit of sleeping in his own bathtub.'

Harry gave a sarcastic laugh and slumped on the bed beside Nikki.

'Right, Doctor Alexander, it's time to return to your own desk.. I mean, room.'

'But I'm not even tired!'

'That's because you slept on the train, you lazy oaf'

'Oh come on Harry! Let's play Battleships again. I'll let you win?'

Harry spluttered 'I don't need you to… I _let _you win.. Look, we have an important case tomorrow.'

'I know, I know' said Nikki, relenting. 'I'll go and have another look at the file'

'Okay. And maybe do some sleeping too?'

'Yes, yes.' She smiled.

Harry rolled over and pulled her into a warm embrace.

'Goodnight. Bright and early tomorrow, yeah?'

Nikki nodded and kissed his cheek, before leaving for her lonely room.

* * *

**Thanks for the feedback - tried out the new spacing style, let me know what you think :) Sorry if this chapter has been bogged down in Harry/Nikki banter.. I just love them so darn much! Just needed to get them settled, next chapter the plot deepens... hopefully :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Harry and Nikki were warmly received by the staff of Plymouth's Coronary Office the next morning, despite all their fears of perceived 'intrusion.'

They were immediately introduced to a Doctor Weller, a genial, plump woman in her early fifties, who surprised Nikki by inviting them to participate in the Post Mortem, when they'd expected simply to be overlooking the process.

'No, no. We're down on staff at the moment – maternity leave.' Doctor Weller explained, shrugging. 'So we need all the help we can get. Homicides of this nature are pretty uncommon down here.'

'Has the decedent been identified?' asked Harry, as they were led to the lab.

'Yes, the wife came in yesterday'

'Wife?' remarked Nikki, looking over at Harry. 'Leo didn't mention that'

'Mmm.' Nodded Doctor Weller, 'She was notified on Sunday night. I was given to understand that she didn't take the news well. She was certainly a wreck when she arrived to identify the body. Well, here we are.'

They'd reached a pair of glass double doors, through which Harry could see a small forensics laboratory.

'They're prepping the body for post-mortem right now, so if you just change through there,' she motioned to a doorway to the left, 'I'll meet you in here in ten minutes.'

*****

Nikki gently rolled the body over on its side.

'So the vast majority of the wounds are from the front, intermittently piercing all the way to the back, suggesting a short, frenzied attack'

Letting the body lie flat again, she measured the depth of the wounds.

'The depth varies from roughly seven inches to complete penetration, exiting through the back'

Harry pointed at a dark wound by the shoulder.

'The bruising pattern in this area' he circled it to clarify for the attending officer, 'suggests that the victim was held down for the first blow, which appears to be here' he gestured to a large, sloping laceration just below the jaw.

'The blade appears to have intersected the Jugular vein, Carotid Artery and Trachea, as well as possibly nicking the Vagus nerve. Due to the lack of alternate bruising I'd say it's clear that the blow directly immobilised the victim, suggesting that the remaining lacerations were superfluous.'

DCI Noakes turned to Nikki. 'Explain?'

'What my colleague means is that the severity of the initial blow would have completely incapacitated the victim, making all subsequent wounds gratuitous.'

'So the attack continued even after victim had been completely debilitated?'

'Exactly. Which would be consistent with a particularly aggressive or frantic attack. The fact that the wounds were predominantly inflicted on the upper torso might also suggest a personal aspect was present in the homicide.'

'Right. So cause of death?'

Harry leant back on the gurney. 'Exsanguination, though we're still awaiting the tox report to see if he was sedated or under the effect of any medication'

'I see' DCI Noakes nodded. 'Time of death?'

Harry turned back to the cadaver. 'Judging by the relative dissipation of rigour, and taking into account that he was found outside, I'd say maybe 60 hours?'

'So Saturday night then, roughly Nine O'clock'

Nikki nodded. 'Do you think we could take a look at the objects he was found with?

The DCI shook his head. 'There wasn't much to it. He was found in a duvet casing, in woodland just off the A38.

'Well, we'll need to have a look at the duvet casing then.' Harry conjectured, steeping away from the cadaver and removing his gloves. 'And we'll need to take a look at where he was found, just for a precursory sweep of the area..'

'Yes, in due course.' Snapped the DCI, tersely. 'I have, strangely enough, done this before. Protocol declares that when a body is found the immediate location is..' The Detective was cut off by a loud buzzing noise emanating from his pocket.

'Yes?' He barked into his mobile, having fished it out.

Harry turned and raised his eyebrows at Nikki, who rolled her eyes.

'What? Okay. Yes. No.. David's Drive, Whitleigh. Right.' The Detective turned back towards the Pathologists, ashen faced.

'Another body's been found, in a scrapyward in Whitleigh.'

Harry cleared his throat 'well we can split the case if you need help.. Nikki can stay here and I'll help on the other case..'

DCI Noakes shook his head. 'No. Same case.'

Nikki regarded him quizzically, furrowing her brow.

'Body number two happens to be decked out in the same bed-set as body number one. Odds-on they're the same case, don't you think?'

Harry nodded in agreement. 'Natural progression, I suppose'.

'Right then' said the DCI, tucking his phone away and striding towards the glass doors. 'Come on!'

For a moment, Nikki seemed caught up in thought. 'The same bed set?'

'Mmm' Harry agreed. 'Odd. Practical, though.'

'Practical?'

Harry nodded. 'Well, it's one way of avoiding laundry.'

*****

Twenty minutes later they were both standing underneath a haphazardly erected forensic tent, scrutinising the body laid out before them.

Harry knelt down. 'So this' he gestured to a pillowcase obscuring the face, 'is the same design as the duvet from Steve Hebden?'

The DCI nodded. 'The very same.'

'Right then' continued Harry. 'Let's get cracking, shall we?'

Nikki let the police photographer get finished, before cautiously removing the pillowcase, revealing the face of a dark-haired Caucasian woman in her late thirties.

She checked the body over quickly, taking care not to disturb the woman's thin summer dress.

'No ID, no ring.. severe bruising to the right temple, suggesting a temporal haemorrhage.. her clothes are in fairly bad condition, she might have been dragged before being dumped. Who found her?' she asked, turning to DCI Noakes.

'The owner' he replied, turning and gesturing to a thin, grey-haired man in his late fifties, standing twenty feet away with a police officer. 'Says he locked the gates on Friday and was ill yesterday.'

'So either a break in or somebody with access to a key?'

The detective nodded. 'Looks that way.'

Harry pointed out some deep grooves in the mud nearby.

'Those look fairly recent' He squatted down for a closer look. 'Could be from the vehicle the body was transported in?'

The DCI sighed. 'Can we move the body yet?'

Nikki frowned, still perusing the nearby surroundings.

'Yes, but please don't disturb the imminent setting'

'Right.' Noakes indicated that the body could be moved. 'Smells bloody awful'

Harry walked over. 'Yes.. she's in a similar condition Hebden would have been in had he not spent a cushy night in the morgue.'

'You think they were killed at the same time?' asked the detective, turning.

'Probably not..' Harry regarded the body for a moment. 'judging by the lack of identifiable COD it's difficult to tell her time of death, but judging by the similarities in the cases, and the relative lack of decomposition, I'd say it's fairly likely they were killed within around five hours of each other.'

* * *

**Thank you so much for your kind reviews! I'm glad the spacing's better :) Apologies for the gore in this chapter, who knew my Biology A Level would come in so handy? L xx**


	4. Chapter 4

'So' Harry began, 'now we have the simple matter of finding out what these two people had in common.'

'And why somebody would want to kill them' interjected Nikki, helpfully.

Harry nodded. 'And who that person is.'

'And where they are.'

'Hmmm.'

Nikki and Harry were mulling over their new case back at the Plymouth lab with two large cups of tea.  
DCI Noakes had insisted on pulling out a large glass-sheet board to document the investigation, adding photos and details in gratuitously colourful writing.

Nikki looked from one photo to the other – they were rather ignominiously labelled 'STEVE HEBDEN' and 'PILLOWCASE WOMAN'. She was struck by how little they had to go on in each case. Both bodies had been meticulously cleaned, and their only similarity seemed to be a parallel taste in bedlinen.  
Hardly foolproof evidence.

'We really need to get an ID on our Jane Doe.' Nikki noted, seating herself at an available desk.

'DCI Noakes is taking a look through missing persons to see if anything turns up there.'

Nikki slumped in her chair, defeated. 'So there's nothing we can do.'

Harry looked over. 'Are you okay?'

'No, I slept appallingly. My bed is incredibly, incredibly uncomfortable.'

'Ah. You're missing your incredibly large, comfortable bed at home. These ones probably haven't seen quite as much action as yours, though.' Harry grinned cheekily.

Nikki scanned the desk for something weighty to throw, but most good-size objects seemed to be secured to the desk itself. Nikki wondered whether the previous owner of this desk had as much trouble with their colleagues as she did.

She was pulled out of her brief reverie by the arrival of a Lab technician. 'Your results from the rape kit' she announced meekly, shyly placing the folder on an empty desk before departing. Harry watched her leave before picking up the results.

'You think she's intimidated by us posh London types?' he asked.

'No' countered Nikki. 'I just think people here aren't as accustomed to seeing your big ugly mug as Leo and I am.'

Harry began to smile, but suddenly his face shifted.

'Harry?'

He crossed over to the board and checked something, before quickly turning around, triumphant.

'Looks like we have a lead on our mystery woman.'

Nikki sat up 'Mother? Sibling?'

Harry shook his head. 'Lover'.

*****

'So Steve Hebden was cheating on his wife?' asked Nikki, still a little shocked.

'Yep. There was no suggestion of rape, so sex appeared to be consensual. And there was evidence that there had been quite a prolonged relationship.'

'Blimey' Nikki breathed. 'I don't know why, but as Leo's godson I'd assumed he'd be almost saintly, you know?'

They were in a police vehicle, travelling down to Totnes with DCI Noakes to meet Steve Hebden's wife, Sonya. Harry felt a small burden of guilt that they might be the bearers of such bad news to his widow.

DCI Noakes swivelled round in the passenger seat to face the pathologists.

'She's been an utter wreck, apparently. Completely trashed her apartment, they've had to have a carer in to help her deal with the grief. We've got twenty minutes, tops.'

Harry nodded. 'Any word on whether she knew about the affair?'

'We haven't put it to her. There were definitely no previous suggestions of adultery – but she wasn't really in a fit state to explain much to us, really'.

The car passed through a leafy suburban district, each of the lawns well-kept and distinguished by leafy well-maintained hedges.

'Nice area. Bit out of the city though.'

'Mmm. Didn't know Accountancy paid so well. It's an expensive district.'

Harry shifted in his seat, slowly tugging at the seatbelt. 'Our boss suggested that there might be money in the family.' He paused. 'Could be a possible motive?'

Noakes shook his head. 'There's been no activity on his bank cards since Saturday. Zip, zilch, nada. Besides, you said the ferocity of the attack and the use of a knife suggested more personal motive?'

Harry opened his mouth to speak, then quickly shut it again, trying to think of a less vapid point.

'Well' continued Noakes, 'if money is involved in some way, my money's on the Missus. Don't think she works. Might have got bored, being a kept woman.'

Nikki continued to stare out of the car window, partially to offset her terrible car-sickness caused by the incredibly bendy roads, and partially to avoid being caught up in this slightly testosterone-fuelled debate of motives.

'I mean.. it's possible that money was getting tight..' Noakes continued, regardless. 'I mean, it is a recession. Maybe there wasn't much money going spare.'

On the horizon, the Hebden house came into view. 'There was money going spare all right' noted Nikki, as the other two leaned over to look out of the window.

*****

Nikki had never seen such an imposing house in all her life.  
A giant red-brick-and-marble behemoth, its great pillars alone were as tall as the suburban houses they'd passed earlier. Beautifully maintained trees and shrubs lined the gravel pathway leading up to a wide-basined grey stone fountain, intricately carved with Grecian gods and goddesses.

'Blimey' murmured Harry, as he stepped out of the car. Noakes nodded in awe. 'Told you there was money in the family.'

A thin, pale young woman stepped into view, seeming almost minuscule compared to the huge columns that stood beside her. The DCI led the pathologists up the ornate marble stairs to the inlaid-bronze front door.

'Mrs Hebden? I'm Detective Inspector Noakes, this is Doctor Alexander and Doctor Cunningham'

The woman swallowed and gripped the handle of the door. Nikki watched her knuckles whiten.

'Won't you come in?' Her voice was surprisingly powerful, belied by the petite body.

As they walked through a decadent wood-panelled hall, Nikki was sure she could hear a phone ringing somewhere, aside the loud ticking of an ancient grandfather clock. The house smelled of leather and wood fires and old books, and Nikki was surprised by good condition the house was in, considering its apparent age.  
The original decadent dormer windows with their flowing sash windows had been carefully maintained, and as a result the atmosphere in the living room was rather stuffy and too warm. There was also a certain deadening effect the house had – Nikki couldn't hear any outside noise at all. The oppressive finery that surrounded them seemed to her a little suffocating.

'Won't you sit down?' asked Mrs Hebden, indicating towards a seated area of deep satin sofas.  
Harry felt strange being invited to sit down by a woman nearly ten years his junior, though her youth didn't show – she seemed gaunt and in the pale light, appeared twice her age.

DCI Noakes seemed to debate with himself how to open the conversation.  
After a pause, he swallowed and began, 'I'd just like to say that I was so very sorry to hear about your husband'

Mrs Hebden looked at the carpet and ran her hand back and forth along the arm of the sofa.

'Mrs Hebden? I wanted to...'

'Sonya.' Mrs Hebden looked up suddenly. Harry caught a blaze of pale-blue eyes. 'Please call me Sonya.'

'Sonya' said Noakes, nodding. He seemed to try to speak again, but deflated, and resorted to staring out of the window.

Nikki sat forwards, and she noticed Sonya Hebden's wide eyes shift to her instantly.  
'It's an incredible house you have here' she said, as Harry nodded in agreement.

'Thank you' said Sonya, her eyes never leaving Nikki's. 'It's been passed down through my family for a long time. My father always did a great deal to preserve it.. it was his pride and joy.'  
She paused. 'He'd be disappointed to see what's happened to it now.'  
Sonya's eyes returned to the carpet, lifting only slightly as the phone started to ring again in the distance.

Noakes seemed encouraged by this attempt at communication.

'Mrs Hebd.. sorry, Sonya, I was wondering..' he reached into his pocket and procured a photograph. 'Do you recognise this woman?'

Sonya Hebden carefully scanned the photo as Harry watched her large, pale eyes for any sign of recognition. She seemed to slump a little, somehow to becoming even smaller.

'Who is she?'  
The powerful voice was suddenly a whisper.

'Just a line of investigation we're pursuing' stated Noakes, putting the photo back into his pocket.  
'Now, Sonya, we have to ask you a few...' he was interrupted as the phone began to ring again.

'Sorry, do you want to answer that?' he asked, a little irritably.

Sonya shook her head, and visibly tensed. Nikki noticed her begin to run her hand along the chair's arm more fervently.

'Sonya, where were you on Saturday night?' asked Noakes

She remained quiet for a moment.

'Sonya?'

'HERE.' Her response was loud and abrupt, startling Nikki a little.

Noakes raised his eyebrows and took out a notebook. 'Here?'

Sonya nodded repeatedly, her eyes still not leaving the carpet.

'And where was your husband?'

No reply

'Sonya, where was your husband?'

Nikki noted Noakes harsh tone, and gave him a reproving look, which he ignored.

Sonya continued to stare at the carpet.

Noakes bunched his hand into a fist in exasperation.  
'Sonya, I need you to tell me..'

'OUT' her small body began to sway with the force she exerted on the chair arm.

'Out?' repeated Noakes

'Out, he's always OUT, on SATURDAY, always, he's OUT'  
She began to rock herself violently, forwards and back.

'Always?' Noakes began to write this down, but was interrupted by Harry getting to his feet.

'I think she's having a panic attack'  
Sonya's tiny body was shuddering, her face now deathly pale.

Nikki quickly moved over to where Sonya sat and tried to break her gaze, which was still focused on the same patch of beige carpet. She could hear her still whispering the word 'out' over and over again.

'She's hyperventilating'

Harry knelt down in front of Sonya. 'Mrs Hebden? Sonya? Can you hear me?'  
Sonya made no response, continuing to shake violently, still audibly murmuring 'out.. out..'

Noakes was sat in shock, watching the scene unfold. Nikki turned to him.  
'Call the carer.. and find a paper bag!'

Noakes stood slowly, nodding. 'Call the carer.. right.'  
He took two steps towards the door and paused, watching the tiny woman shake uncontrollably for a few seconds, before remembering himself and running out into the hall.

*****

As they walked down the imposing stairs once more, Noakes paused and took a backward glance at the house.  
'Phew. Glad to get out of there.'  
He took a deep breath and continued down the stairs 'What a bloody waste of time..' he muttered.

Nikki rounded on him. 'That was your fault. Your line of questioning was completely ridiculous!'

'My fault?' asked Noakes loudly, opening his palms wide. 'She's clearly unbalanced. Woman's deranged.'

Nikki stopped walking and turned to him. 'Deranged?' she took a step towards him, but Harry caught her arm. 'She'd just lost her husband!'

'Easy Nikki' Harry soothed, placing his hand on her other shoulder and turning her back towards the car. When she'd walked a few steps, he turned back to Noakes. 'I have to agree though. That was appallingly handled.'

Noakes gestured wildly back to the house. 'You saw what she was like!'

'She was grieving!'

Noakes shrugged. 'I still have both my parents. I've never really lost anyone. I don't know how to deal with grief.'

'You're lucky.' Said Harry, turning away in disgust.

Nikki took his hand and the two walked back to the police car, away from the shadow of the old, quiet house.

* * *

**Thanks so much for each and every lovely review :) I'm having a great time writing this - feels like a very worthwhile way to avoid my History of Art essay! L xx**


	5. Chapter 5

It was Tuesday evening, and the two pathologists found themselves seated at the antiquated hotel bar, talking over the day's case, whilst drowning their sorrows in two large glasses of pinot grigio. 'You know,' said Harry, leaning back in his chair, 'I've been over it in my mind, and I really can't agree with Noakes's theory. Sonya Hebden's grief seemed extremely real to me.'

Nikki thought for a moment, then reasoned. 'I couldn't sense any falsity in her response. Though Noakes was hardly inspired in his questioning process.'

'You think she knew about the affair?'

'I think she had at least a vague idea that her husband was playing away. I mean, if he's out every Saturday without explanation, you're going to get suspicious, aren't you?'

'Mmm. But do you think she killed him?'

She paused. 'I don't know. The grief's genuine enough, we know that. I'd like to know more about their relationship in general though. You know, ask her friends, that sort of thing.'

Harry shook his head. 'You'd have trouble. Apparently Sonya Hebden wasn't the socialising sort. That's why they had to get the carer in – police couldn't find any next of kin to support her.'

'Poor woman.' Said Nikki, scooting a bar mat along the polished table. 'He must have been everything to her.'

They were interrupted by a loud trilling noise from Nikki's bag. She leant over and fished out her phone, regarding the illuminated screen for a moment before rejecting the call. She placed the phone, screen down, on the table.  
'What was that?' asked Harry, inquisitive.

'Nothing.' Said Nikki, avoiding eye contact. 'Want another drink?'  
He raised a questioning eyebrow.

Nikki sighed. 'It was Leo.'  
Harry opened his mouth to question her, but she raised her palm to pause him.  
'Don't be angry, Harry.. it's just, since we found out that his godson is.. well, less than saintly.. I've been sort of avoiding his calls.'

Harry acknowledged her with a half-nod. 'I know what you mean. It's not worth hurting him more.'

'Exactly.'

'But Niks, the fact is he's gonna find out. It's natural he's going to be inquisitive. I think he'd rather hear it from us than reading it in the inquest report.'

Nikki slumped in her chair, defeated. 'I know, I know' she said, throwing up her hands. 'You're right. I'll call him tomorrow.'

They sat in silence for a minute. Harry glanced around the bar: it was late, and the place was empty apart from close-seated couples wrapped up together in warm corners. He looked over at Nikki, deep in thought.  
'You want to know what I think is strange?' she asked suddenly, turning to face him.

Harry tilted his head. 'Do tell.'

'The age difference. I mean, Steve Hebden had a young and beautiful wife, yet his mistress was about ten years older than he was.'

'Some men like an older women. You know, more certain of what they want, more confident.. more broad-minded.'

Nikki laughed. 'You've given this a lot of thought, Cunningham.

He smiled. 'I think it's just one of those teenage rites-of-passage. You know, like having a crush on your teacher.'

There was a pause, as the conversation lapsed. They both watched the couple in the nearest corner canoodling, before Harry dragged his eyes away.

'Did you take a look at our Jane Doe's post-mortem?'

The two were still livid at Noakes's earlier insistence that the post-mortem be carried out by the in-house pathologist. Nikki suspected that the DCI was going to make this case significantly more difficult than it needed to be - already it was clear that there were things they'd missed out on by not being permitted to attend.

'Other than the whacking great bruise on her forehead, there was a little light bruising on her body'

Nikki's eyes widened.

'I don't think it was abuse' said Harry, guessing her train of thought. 'They confirmed that the blow to the head was the cause of death – temporal haemorrhage. But the rest of the bruising was mainly focused around the wrists, the hipbone and the inner thigh. Judging by the arrangement and faintness of the abrasions I'd say it was principally sustained during intercourse.'

She laughed. 'So essentially, he liked it rough?.'

Harry smiled and nodded. 'So it seems.'

He leant back in his chair as they resumed scrutinising the couple in the corner, who were now locked in a romantic embrace, speaking in low tones.

'I feel we should have brought popcorn.' Whispered Nikki, grinning cheekily.

A few minutes later, the barman approached the couple's table to inform them that the bar was closing soon.  
'So' said Harry, getting to his feet as the Barman left. 'what do we do now?'

Nikki regarded the half empty bottle. 'We could take this up and finish it in my room, I guess.'  
She watched the barman's receding figure. 'You think they'd let us? Would it be.. I don't know, rude?'

Harry helped her up. 'The two of us? Drinking? In your hotel room?'  
Nikki laughed as she realised how it sounded. There was a pause.

He shrugged. 'I'm not coming if it's not rude.'

*****

The next day, Noakes greeted them with an unnervingly cheery smile. 'Good _morning_, Doctors.'  
Nikki straightened out her shirt self-consciously, hoping it didn't look too crumpled. Harry nodded in greeting. 'Morning, Detective Inspector.'

'I have some good news for you.' continued Noakes, still wearing an eerie smile.  
'Missing Persons came up trumps. Say hello to Mary-Ann Osborne.' He held up a photo of the dead woman, slightly blurred but clearly an old holiday snap. The woman seemed younger here, smiling and ruddy, on a foreign beach in an unflattering swimsuit.  
'Her sister identified her this morning. She's in for questioning at the moment.' He lowered the photo, his tone more serious. 'Speaking of mornings, this department is open from eight o'clock. They might tolerate lateness in London but we don't accept it here. So maybe you could be on time tomorrow?'

He slammed Mary-Ann Osborne's file on an empty desk and strode off.

Harry rolled his eyes. 'God, that man loves the sound of his own voice.'  
Nikki picked up the folder, perusing each page carefully before progressing. 'Mary-Ann Osborne, 37. Single, no children. Ran a catering business with her sister Carol.'

'I might go check out what's going on with the sister, seeing as they've got her in custody.' Said Harry, glancing in the direction the Detective had left.  
Nikki looked over, closing the file.

'Well' he continued. 'we all know how.. refined Detective Inspector Noakes' interrogation skills are.'

Nikki smiled and nodded. 'I'm going to see if I can get access to the post-mortem details, you know, no stone unturned.'

'So, see you later.' Harry walked towards the doorway then hesitated, quickly glancing behind him. He caught Nikki's eye, and she looked away and blushed.  
'Later' she acknowledged, burying her smile in a folder.

*****

Harry felt a stab of sincere pity for Carol Osborne. Fate had definitely dealt her a dreadful hand today.  
Not content with acquainting her with her missing sister, laid pallid and grey on a cold mortuary gurney, providence had then presented her with DCI Noakes, who was quickly affirming himself as the most odious Detective Inspector Harry had ever had the misfortune to meet.  
As he watched through the mirrored glass, Harry struggled to imagine what possible misconduct could karmically qualify for such a horrendous double-blow.

'Look' reiterated Ms Osborne, aggressively. 'My sister was no brassy whore. What she did in her own time was her own business.' She brushed at her eyes, leaving ugly black streaks across her cheekbone. Harry guessed she was the older of the sisters, judging by her protective instinct and furious attempts to handle her emotions.

Noakes took a deep breath. 'This is a murder enquiry. Trying to preserve your sister's reputation won't help find the killer.'

'What do you care? You've formed your opinion.' She folded her arms and sat back in disgust and fury.

Noakes leant forwards. 'Ms Osbourne, I will charge you with hindering a police investigation.'

She thought for a moment. When she spoke again, she fixed her eyeline far off into the corner, avoiding Noakes's stare.

'She was seeing a man, yes. Said he was married but the wife was a prude, didn't understand him. Okay?'

'Did she tell you much about him other than that he was married?'

'No. Not much. She met him at one of the business meetings we catered. We do a lot of those, there's always drunk businessmen looking for a quickie in the corner. They kept in touch.'

'And what was their relationship like?' exhorted Noakes. 'Physically?'

Carol paused again, pursing her lips. Tears dripped from her jaw into her lap. 'I think he was.. quite rough.'

'Rough?'

'Sometimes she had bruises. She never said he was violent though.' As she brushed away the accumulating tears, a thought occurred to her.  
'You don't think he did this?'

'Unlikely. 'He' is dead.' Said Noakes, picking up a photo from his folder and holding it up. .  
'Is this the man your sister knew?'

She nodded slowly, staring at the picture, barely blinking.

'He was found on Sunday. Evidence suggests their times of death may have been very similar'  
He paused, as Carol Osborne lowered her head to her hands. 'The wife has been notified.' he added, as an afterthought.

She looked up. 'The wife?' her eyes widened as she recalled an early conversation. 'Mary said she thought the wife knew. She said Steve told her to be careful.' She thought for a moment, before slamming a hand on the table. 'The wife did this. I know she did. The wife, the little..' she lapsed into a breathless mix of sobbing and expletives.

*****

Harry encountered DCI Noakes in the corridor outside.  
'What did you think?' Asked the detective, absent-mindedly checking his file.

'Delicately handled, as always' said Harry, the faintest trace of a smile playing around his lips.

Noakes slammed the file shut. 'I got the job done. More than can be said for your side of things.'

'Yes, then again there is more to my job than shouting at crying women.'

The detective regarded him dangerously. Harry had the curious sensation of being sized up before a fight. Clearly deciding against it, Noakes stepped back and regarded him with disgust, before beginning to turn away. He paused.  
'Oh, Doctor Cunningham, make sure to have your feisty sidekick in later today.'

Harry took a deep breath, calming himself. 'Nikki. Yes, why?'

'We'll need someone to keep Sonya Hebden away from a hysterical nervous breakdown. We're bringing her in.' Noakes fixed him a patronising smile, before swaggering off down the hallway.

* * *

**Sorry for the gap - been 'researching' (and of course, by that I mean watching huge amounts of silent witness and avoiding my essays due for thursday). The plot should be really progressing from here so let me know what you think! And thanks again for the lovely reviews - they brighten my day and certainly make writing less of a chore :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Back in the office, Nikki had entirely given up on trying to glean any useful information from Mary-Ann Osborne's post mortem, and found herself staring lazily out the window at the distant rainclouds, her mind wandering lethargically.

A spatter of raindrops on the window woke her from her reverie, and, placing the post-mortem file back on the desk, she came to the slightly unwelcome conclusion that it was time to bite the bullet and give her boss a call. She wondered, as she hurriedly fished her phone from the hideous detritus of her bag, how she should best give the news.

Leo was a realist – that was well known – but still, Nikki wasn't convinced that 'Sorry, your murdered godson was a slightly abusive adulterer who may or may not have been killed while actually in the act of cheating on his very fragile wife' was quite the best way to phrase it.  
She sighed, then gritted her teeth as she slowly punched in L-E-O, paused slightly, then pressed 'call'.

*****

In London, Leo Dalton took a deep breath. 'So you've actually found the woman he was conducting the affair with?'

'Yes. Leo, I'm so sorry, I didn't want to make this even worse for you.. I just felt you needed to know.'  
The bad connection made Nikki's voice tuneless and tinny, but he could still detect the deep feeling of grief projected down the line, coupled with sincere regret.

'No, don't be sorry.' He tried to lift his voice a little, for Nikki's sake. 'I needed to know, it's not your fault. I'd have found out at some point anyway.'

There was a lull in the conversation. Leo grasped for something else to talk about, desperate to move onward and away from any associated topics of conversation. 'How's Harry?'

'He's fine... you know, arguing with all the inspectors, causing trouble wherever he goes, the usual.'  
Leo could hear the smile in Nikki's voice, and felt his spirits lift a little.

'Well, get him to give me a call me at some point, will you? You know, when he's finished stirring up trouble.'

Nikki laughed. 'You'll be waiting a while.'

'I've got to go, Nikki, but keep in touch, okay?' Leo sat forwards, noting Janet striding confidently through the lab's glass doors. 'I'm very proud of the job you're doing down there. Both of you.'

'Thanks Leo, I'll let Harry know. Talk soon!'

Leo replaced the receiver and sat back in his chair, as Janet strode into his office.  
'Good afternoon' he said, smiling. 'And to what do I owe this pleasure?'

'Well, I felt guilty that you were going to be alone in the office all day again, so I thought I'd surprise you.' She grinned enigmatically.

Leo clocked the large, heavy canvas bag at her side, and regarded her suspiciously. 'Surprise?'

She smiled. 'Yes, surprise. What would you say to a spontaneous office-based indoor picnic?'

Leo laughed and walked over to her, drawing her close as she placed the bag on the floor.

'I'd say that's exactly what I need.'

*****

Nikki placed her phone on the desk and stood up, feeling fidgety. She scanned the papers laid out on Harry's newly adopted desk, sitting down as she distractedly flicked through the folders.

'That's my desk.'

She jumped with fright and turned around to see Harry stood close behind her. He smiled as she narrowed her eyes and scowled at him. 'No it's not.' She asserted, glancing at the plaque mounted at the side of the desk. 'It's Dr. Ian Morden BSc MA PhD – 's.' She raised an eyebrow, in a 'so there' gesture.

Harry laughed briefly, but soon his face grew serious. 'Nikki, Mumford says he wants to see you.'

She looked up, noting the solemn tone. 'Mumford?' she asked. 'Why?'

'They're bringing Sonya Hebden in. Apparently Mary-Ann Osborne thought Sonya had it in for her, which...'

'Which makes her a prime suspect' finished Nikki, gravely.

Harry hesistated, then nodded. 'Mumford seems to think he needs someone present to keep her.. under control.'

Nikki rolled her eyes. 'Under control? Jesus, Harry – you saw what happened last time!'

Harry stepped forwards and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. 'The best way for you to help her is to go and make sure Mumford keeps in line.'

Nikki sighed. 'You're right. Are you coming?'

'Do I have to? I've got to go and check the.. ...err...'  
Harry stalled, searching for an excuse. Nikki raised an enquiring eyebrow. 'Oh, okay. But not for all of it.'

Nikki searched his expression. 'Don't tell me the great Harry Cunningham is intimidated by a little DCI?

Harry flexed his shoulders a little and pouted. 'Not intimidated.. you know, just a little.. scared.'

Nikki snorted and turned away. 'Yeah yeah, scared my arse...' she muttered.

'I have many feelings about your arse,' countered Harry, 'but fear is not one of them.'  
With a flourish, he left the room, leaving a surprised Nikki to follow him haphazardly, doing her best to contain a rapidly broadening smile.

*****

Six hours later, Nikki had to admit she felt glad to be back in her uncomfortable, dusty hotel room. The two pathologists had decided to give the dingy hotel bar a miss tonight after the trials and rigours of the afternoon and had instead popped into a Threshers for a bottle of wine to enjoy in their room. They had unfortunately overlooked one key feature, as Harry had discovered upon attempting to unscrew the bottle's lid – it had occurred to neither party that they might require a corkscrew. And, as usual, thought Nikki, Harry had decided to forfeit the obvious solution – ie ask at the bar for a corkscrew – and was instead repeatedly assailing the bottle with a biro and a small pair of tweezers, over the bathroom sink.

As a result, when Harry emerged from the En Suite ten minutes later, after a great deal of shouting and expletives, Nikki tried, and inevitably failed, to contain a rising wave of laughter. His expression was a combination of jubilation and sheer exhaustion - a look enhanced by a prominent red wine stain down the left side of his shirt. He held the newly-opened bottle aloft as Nikki applauded, and gave an elaborate bow. 'Thank you' he told his adoring fan. 'Thank you, thank you, I do all my own stunts.'

'Come on, hurry up.' Said Nikki, kicking off her shoes and shuffling further back on the bed. 'I need a stiff drink.'  
Harry poured the wine into two plastic cups, and handed one to Nikki with a flourish. 'Only the best here at Hotel Adelphi' he said, noting Nikki's indignation at the plastic cup. She smiled up at him.  
'Cheers!'

Harry squeezed onto the bed beside her, as she arranged the pillows against her back. 'Come on, move over'

'Phew.' Said Nikki, after Harry had finally shuffled onto the bed. 'Long day.'  
Harry made a small affirmative noise as he took a sip

'You realise we were in there for three hours?' continued Nikki. 'even Noakes looked tired.'

Harry placed his cup on the sideboard. 'The man can't get tired. He's sustained by the very fires of hell.'

Nikki laughed. 'Yes.. well, he wasn't quite so bad today. At least he didn't ask as many god-awful questions.'

The interrogation earlier had been a long, drawn-out affair, as Sonya Hebden had arrived with a large and unexpected legal team, who spent the afternoon dragging the proceedings out with long-winded monologues about protocol and precedents, meaning that absolutely nothing solid had been established, and also that there was little to no reason to suspect the would ever comply with police proceedings until the inquiry.

'He's almost certainly going to suspect she's guilty after that particular showdown, though.' Remarked Harry. 'God knows why she decided to bring in the big guns so early.'

'Well, be fair, he was hardly gentle last time round was he?' countered Nikki. 'If I was in her position I'd do the same thing.'

She slouched a little, reconfiguring the pillows as she lay on her side, facing Harry. 'You know what I don't understand?' she asked.

'Do tell.' Said Harry, shifting himself accordingly to lie facing her.

'Why she's still protecting his estate – the family name and so on. I mean, she made it fairly clear that he was a could be a pretty atrocious husband.'

'Maybe to protect his.. I don't know, pride? Dignity?' he shrugged. 'People do funny things for loved ones.'

The loaded words, and the silence that immediately followed, made them both suddenly and uncomfortably aware of the way they were positioned.  
Nikki tried to clarify the words in her mind – not uncomfortable, that was wrong.. it was more, uncertain, hesitant, unusual.

Harry searched for a witticism to break the silence, and, finding none, rolled onto his back and observed the ceiling and the greying lampshade. Nikki noted the expansive wine-stain as he moved, and laughed.  
'Like I said, the classiest man I know'.

Harry glanced over and smiled, as Nikki brushed the still-wet stain with her fingers. On impulse, Harry took her hand, slowly intertwining the fingers with his own until their eyes met.  
The room became a mix of warm and cold, his chest, suddenly hollow and tight. Nikki felt him draw closer, his breath on her cheek, and a small smile played on her lips. They lay in a warm, luxurious silence, joined by their tangled fingers.

Nikki had a sudden urge to start naming the bones of the hand, an old party trick, but causally dismissed it. Instead, she mentally listed the metacarpals – smiling as it occurred to her that she and Harry were _Scaphoid_ to _Scaphoid_, _Lunate_ to _Lunate_, _Triquetral_ to _Triquetral. _

Harry caught her smile, and wondered what she was thinking. Was she panicking? Was he? The confusion was too much to bear. Half of him wanted to hide under the duvet, the other sought to draw her closer. Inaction was no good. The space between them was forever changing but always present – a self-imposed six-inch-rule*****.

In an act more of audacity than passion, Harry moved his hand to her waist, a move that surprised him possibly more than it did Nikki. He felt her draw close, her arms wrapped around his shoulders and draped across his back. His thoughts were indecipherable; his thumb drew lazy circles around her hipbone without cause or reason. He felt her smile into his shoulder and brushed his lips across her neck, wondering how the shrouded passions that marked their friendship had ever found a release -

'Harry'

It was like hearing underwater. He felt his dreams spin and fall flat, as he emerged from the confused haze to meet Nikki's bewildered expression.

'Harry, look.'

He took a deep, steadying breath. 'Yes, Nikki.'  
He suddenly realised he'd misjudged the tone.

'Look at this.'

She was gesturing towards the bed they were lying on, instead of reprimanding him. Relief quenched the feelings of doubt and anxiety in his mind.  
'What is it?'

Impatiently, Nikki lifted up the side of the duvet they lay upon.

'Look!'

Something clicked in Harry's slowly sobering mind. Bedclothes?

Nikki sat up and regarded it closer, then turned to him.

'Harry, it's the _same duvet cover_ from the crime scenes.'

* * *

**I'm so sorry I've been away for so long! I've got a university interview on Wednesday so I've been pretty much reading non-stop (it's english lit) and essentially nerding it up a lot so they'll let me in :) so many, many apologies.**

**Also, thank you for all the lovely reviews - I feel I should probably reply to a few? I love that there's actually someone from plymouth who's reading this!**

**And one last thing - I succumbed to allowing Nikki and Harry a little more romance than I was originally intending, because I kinda felt the scene called for it. Do you think it's ok? I want to keep the mentality of the show going throughout - I dont want to get too bogged down in slushy romance (mainly because I don't know how to write it), but then again, what's a silent witness fic without Harry/Nikki? It's most perplexing.**

**L xxx**

*** = I not sure how well-known the concept of the 6-inch-rule is - they had it at my old school and it involved essentially staying six inches away from anyone of the opposite gender at all times. A good way of circumventing it was to always pair up with someone of the opposite sex in class ('no sir, I can't pass him the calcium chloride, we have to stay six inches apart at all times!'), though this was really more for pissing off the teachers than anything else. Failing that, you could always just go and hold hands behind the squash courts where all the hard-core kids chewed gum (which was also, hilariously, illegal at my school). **


End file.
